Serving Past's Time
by Existent Unicorn
Summary: Marriage to Rapunzel has forever changed Eugene Fitzherbert, but his past of being the notorious bandit, Flynn Rider, has come back to strike him with a price that may cost him from ever seeing his wife again...


**Chapter 1**

**"Breaking the Ice"**

With Rapunzel and Flynn's exchange of vows less than two weeks ago, things seemed to be spinning around uncontrollably.

Flynn and Rapunzel would be joining the King and Queen, Rapunzel's parents, for dinner. It would be the first time Flynn would get to know his wife's parents on a more intimate level, and he wanted to make sure everything would be guaranteed to go perfect.

He laid out an outfit similar to the one he had worn the day of his wedding, his handy-dandy comb would be in his pocket to assure his hair would be in perfect place, and he would smell pleasant unlike the other days he would find himself drenched with the scent of horse. A clean shower and a floss of the teeth made Eugene Fitzherbert feel confident he would tackle the night just fine, though there was a constant worry that his in-laws would question his past. How would he respond? Most importantly, how would _they _respond?

_No time for worries _he told himself.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he drew in deep breaths. He had the sensation of what one would experience while hyperventilating, and an uncomfortable one at that. Even at his wedding he hadn't felt as terrible as this, which only made him realize how important the King and Queen's impression of him had meant.

After chugging down several glasses of water in his dressing room, he returned to the part of the castle to which belonged to Rapunzel and himself. He entered the bedroom to find Rapunzel wearing the tiara, the very one he had robbed from the kingdom before he had fallen for Rapunzel, and wearing the most gorgeous gown he had ever seen. She was covered in diamonds from head to toe and wore white gloves over her hands, her wedding ring on her finger clearly visible, as it glimmered in the light. Flynn had to blink twice at the sight.

"Next to you, I look like such a pauper," he smiled. "You really look stunning. I mean literally those diamonds—"

"Oh, I know. My mother insisted I wear this tonight. I'd honestly much rather wear something… less sparkly... But it's my mother. I couldn't say no," she lightly chuckled. "And you look stunning yourself."

"Ah, thank you, but clearly we both know who everyone will have their eye on," he replied, the statement made Rapunzel blush. Flynn interlocked his arm with hers and said, "Shall we make our way to the ballroom?"

"Yes," she beamed.

Truth be told, they were both slightly nervous. Flynn had to calm down for his own good, but Rapunzel on the other hand, had very different reasons for her stomach's churning. She had been a princess for merely a short time and was unfamiliar with any expectations the kingdom might have for her. There wasn't an instruction book she could turn to, and asking her parents seemed silly. She thought about the princesses in the stories she would hear about as a young child, which wasn't much of a help. She was going to have to figure this one out on her own. To think that both her and Flynn would experience being a part of a royal family for the first time together had comforted her greatly. If she really needed to talk to someone, it would be Flynn.

Rapunzel, Flynn, and the King and Queen were escorted by a waiter to a long dining table which awaited with lit candles and their beginning course: steaming bread rolls and plates of fresh salad.

Flynn and Rapunzel were filled with awe as they observed around the room set so nicely for the occasion. Purple tapestries with a sun center of it covered around the walls of the large room, a sparkling chandelier hung up on the ceiling above the table and the stone wall fireplace was lit.

The waiter pulled out a chair for each of them, assuring the next course would be out shortly and then scurried off behind the double doors leading to the kitchen.

Flynn grasped Rapunzel's hand under the table; detecting his rapid pulse, she felt it was the perfect time to break the ice.

"Thank you for having us here, mother, father," she smiled. "Everything looks so wonderful."

"And it's even more wonderful to have our daughter and her new husband here with us," warmly replied the Queen.

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
